Beet-harvester.



A.GLARK.

BEET HARVESTERP APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1909. 963,868. a ed July 12,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. CLARK.

BEET HARVESTER.

APPLICATION TILED MAY 21, 1909.

963,868. Patented Jul 12, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

ARNOLD CLARK, OF LATTY, OHIO.

BEET-HARVESTER.

ceases.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I ARNOLD CLARK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Latty in the county of Paulding and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Beet-Harvester, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has relation to beet harvesters and it consists in thenovel construction and arrangement of its parts as hereinafter shown anddescribed.

The object of the invention is to provide a harvester of the characterindicated in which is provided an adjustable series of rotating kniveswhich are adapted to cleave the tops from the beets as they stand in theground. In conjunction with the beet-topping mechanism as indicated arunner is provided which is also adjustable and which is adapted totravel upon the surface of the soil and bear the weight of the toppingmechanism thereby relieving the frame of the machine of the weight ofthe said cutting mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a side elevation of the beetharvester. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a rearelevation of a portion of the top ping mechanism. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the topping mechanism detached from the harvester.

The harvester comprises a frame 1 which is provided at its opposite sidewith pendent bearings 2, in one of which is journaled a sleeve 3. Anaxle shaft 4 is journaled in said sleeve and the other bearing 2 andupon the ends of the said shaft are journaled traction wheels 5. Ratchetescapement devices 6 are connected with the said traction wheels and thesaid axle shaft and when the wheels are turning in a forward directionthe said shaft rotates with the same, but when the wheels 5 rotaterearwardly the said ratchet devices permit escapement between themovement of the wheels and the said axle shaft whereby the shaft mayremain at rest. A tongue truck is located in advance of the frame 1 andsupports the forward portion thereof in a usual manner.

A gear wheel 14 is fixed to the axle shaft 4 and a gear wheel 15 isfixed to the sleeve 3. The said gear wheels are adjacent each other.Arms 16 have bearings at their lower end portions which receive the saidaxle shaft 4 and sleeve 3, respectively, and a lever 17 is fulcrumedbetween the said arms. A

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 21, 1909.

Patented July 12, 1910. Serial No. 497,382.

gear wheel 18 is journaled for rotation at the lower end of the lever 17and at times it is adapted to be swung so that it may mesh with both thegear wheels 14 and 15 above mentioned. Thus it will be seen that as themachine is run along the surface of the ground and the traction wheels 5rotate in a forward direction, rotary movement is transmitted throughthe escapement dedices 6 to the axle shaft 4 and when the lever 17 isswung so that the gear wheel 18 is in mesh with the gear wheels 14 and15, r0- tary movement is transmitted through the gear wheel 14 and thegear wheel 18 to the gear wheel 15 and the sleeve 3.

V A shoe frame 19 is pivotally connected at its rear end to the rearportion of the frame 1 and extends in an inclined position forwardly,under the axle shaft 4. A shoe 20 is pivotally mounted at the lowerforward end of the frame 19. Uprights 21 are pivotally connected attheir lower ends with the forward portion of the shoe frame 19 andextend up through guides 22 provided upon the frame 1. A shaft 23 isjournaled for rotation in bearings 24 mounted upon the frame 1 and isprovided with a crank handle 25. A ratchet disk 26 is fixed to the shaft23 and is adapted to be engaged by a pawl 27 which is pivotally mountedupon the rear bearing 24 provided for the shaft 23. A chain 28 isattached at one end to the forward end of the shaft 23, and at its lowerend is attached to the forward end of the shoe 20. The forward end ofthe said shoe is upturned as at 29. The shoe 20 and the frame 19 areadapted to support the weight of the knife frame and the knife mechanismhereinafter to be described. Links 30 are pivotally connected at theirrear ends with the lower forward portion of the shoe frame 19 and attheir forward ends are pivotally connected with a knife frame 31. Links32 are pivotally connected at their rear ends with the sleeve 3 and attheir forward ends are pivotally connected with the said knife frame 31.A sprocket wheel 34 is fixed to the sleeve 3 between the rear ends ofthe links 32. A sprocket wheel 35 is journaled for rotation in the upperportion of the knife frame 31. A shaft 36 is journaled for rotation inthe lower portion of the knife frame 31. A sprocket wheel 37 is fixed tothe shaft 36. A sprocket chain 38 passes around the sprocket wheels 34and 35 and a sprocket chain 37 passes around the wheel 37 and thesprocket wheel 35. A head 38 is fixed to the inner end of the shaft 36and blades 39 are fixed at their ends to the periphery of the said head38. The said blades 39 are preferably spirally disposed and the endsopposite the ends that are attached to the head 38 are disconnected fromother parts of the machine.

The knives 39 rotate about the axis of the shaft 36 as the saidshaftrotates and consequently as the machine is drawn along a row ofplants, the said knives will sever the tops from the roots or the bodyportions of the beets, and by reason of the fact that the said knivesare spirally disposed, they sever the tops from the beets with ashearing out which has a tendency to remove the tops without tearing thebeets.

A lever 40 is fulcrumed upon the uprights 21 and at the upper endthereof a link 41 connects the working end of the lever A0 with theknife frame 31. A gear segment a2 is fixed to the upper end of one ofthe uprights a1 and the lever 4:0 carries a spring actuated pawl 43which is adapted to engage the teeth of the segment 42. By means of thelever mechanism 40 and its connection with the knife frame 31, means areprovided for raising and lowering the knife frame with relation to theshoe 20 and for holding the same in an adjusted position. Thus means areprovided for causing the knives 39 to operate upon the tops of the beetsat any desired point with relation to the surface of the soil. It willbe seen that when the shaft 23 rotates and the chain 28 is wound thereonthat the forward end of the shoe frame 19 together with the shoe and theknife frame 31 will be raised above the surface of the ground, that isto say after the knife frame 31 has been adjusted with relation to theshoe 20 by turning the shaft 23 the said knife frame may be adjustedvertically together with the shoe without changing the relative positionof the knife frame with respect to the shoe.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is 2- 1. A beet harvester comprising a main frame, ashoe frame pivotally connected with the main frame, a shoe carried bythe shoe frame, means for raising and lowering the shoe frame, a knifeframe pivotally mounted upon the shoe frame, and means for adjusting theknife frame with relation to the shoe frame.

2. A beet harvester comprising a main frame, a shoe frame pivotallyconnected with the main frame, a shoe carried by the shoe frame, a knifeframe pivotally mounted upon the shoe frame, means for adjusting theknife frame with relation to the shoe frame, and means for moving theshoe frame and the main frame simultaneously.

3. A beet harvester comprising a main frame, a shoe frame attachedthereto, a shoe pivoted to the shoe frame and a knife frame mounted uponthe shoe frame.

4. A beet harvester comprising a main frame, a shoe frame pivotedthereto, a shoe pivoted to the shoe frame, and a knife frame mountedupon the shoe frame.

5. A beet harvester comprising a main frame, a shoe frame pivotedthereto, a shoe pivoted to the shoe frame, and a knife frame adjustablymounted upon the shoe frame.

6. A beet harvester comprising a main frame, a shoe frame attachedthereto, a knife frame adjustably mounted upon the shoe frame, and avertically rotating knife carried by the knife frame.

7. A beet harvester comprising a main frame, a shoe frame attachedthereto, a shoe pivoted to the shoe frame, a knife frame mounted uponthe shoe frame, and a vertically rotating knife carried by the knifeframe.

8. A beet harvester comprising a main frame, a shoe frame pivotedthereto, a shoe pivoted to the shoe frame, a knife frame mounted uponthe shoe frame, and a verticallv rotating knife carried by the knifeframe.

9. A beet harvester comprising a main frame, a shoe frame pivotedthereto, a shoe pivoted to the shoe frame, a knife frame adjustablymounted-upon the shoe frame and a vertically rotating knife carried bythe knife frame.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

- his ARNOLD CLARK.

mark

Witnesses:

D. J I-IARKLEss, H. H. WALLAR.

